Here comes the flood

Hello and welcome, newcomers!
Take a look around, and be sure to check out the other Semester at Sea blogs to the left.
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Things I'll Be Missing

I'm trying not to dwell on this kind of thing...but I can't help but think about a few things I'm going to miss while abroad:

Obama's inauguration and the beginning of his presidency

LOST season 5 (this one hurts)

New albums from The Prodigy and Röyksopp

This Side of the Truth (Ricky Gervais' new film), and Monsters Vs. Aliens (but I'll be back in time for Star Trek!)

Reality Check, one two one two

Yesterday, we tested packing my things to see how I'm doing with space and compactness. My mom (the most efficient travel packer the world will ever know) helped me lay out my stuff on the living room floor, and then see if it could all fit into two duffel bags.

It was a big moment. I looked at the two bags of clothes, equipment, and supplies, and I realized that that will be it. The only physical links I'll have to my life at home will be what fits, compacted and stripped down, into luggage. I try to uphold an ideal of not being defined by places and possessions, and this trip will be my first real test of that notion. For a moment today, my packed bags represented frightening isolation. But then turned it around, and rather than letting it feel like an uprooting, I'll try to allow that detachment to better define who I am, when it's just me, a place, and the people I meet. And two huge honkin' duffels.

The other paradigm shift I've undergone happened about three weeks ago, when I really stopped to think about the time frame of the journey. Throughout the whole process of applying to study abroad and researching the countries I'll be visiting, I've been excited with the idea of adapting to wildly different cultures and climates, and experiencing things that will be totally foreign. Until recently, though, I hadn't considered how long of a time I'm going to be doing that. As my roommates will agree, a semester can be a long time, and a lot can change. 108 days might actually be enough time to get used to nomadic life.

One final thought: given the length of time I'll be away, and my need to pack light, what do you recommend I bring along for fun? Right now it's just a pack of cards and this book. What's the most entertaining thing you've ever brought on a long trip?

Paradigm. Phlegm. Those words should rhyme but they don't.

The Facts

Here's some more info about the voyage, if I haven't already been talking your ear off:

Our home will be the MV Explorer, pictured above. With a top speed of 28 knots (about 32 MPH), it's one of the fastest passenger ships in the world. It will house ~700 students. More ship info here.

We'll be spending 58 days at sea, and 50 on land. The travel itinerary originally had more time on land, but we were rerouted to avoid those damned swashbuckling pirates in Somalia. So now we'll travel around Africa instead of going through the Suez canal. As a result, we will skip Turkey, Italy, and Egypt, which will be replaced by Morocco, Namibia, and South Africa. Most port stops are around 5 days long. There are several long stretches of time at sea. Our first portion of the journey, from Nassau, Bahamas to Cadiz, Spain, lasts 9 days.

All classes take place at sea. When we're on land, there are some required activities that tie into our coursework. Mostly, though, we're free to roam on our own, or to participate in trips organized by Semester at Sea.

That's the journey in broad strokes...mostly factoids until I take the plunge on the 19th!

Oh, hey, I didn't see you there. (The Welcome Post)

THE MAN:

Isaiah, 20. Recent victim to the travel bug. Never been off-continent.

THE PLAN:

To circle the globe in a dizzying shipboard journey through 11 countries over 108 days!

Nassau, Bahamas
Cadiz, Spain
Casablanca, Morocco
Walvis Bay, Namibia
Cape Town, South Africa
Port Louis, Mauritius
Chennai, India
Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Hong Kong / Shanghai, China
Kobe / Yokohama, Japan
Honolulu, Hawaii
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
(Antigua, Guatemala City)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

[Full itinerary here, fancy interactive map here]

Some of my personal goals for the trip:

• To expand my knowledge and understanding of the world and its people,

• To challenge myself intellectually, physically, and spiritually (and use my resulting growth as guidance for my life and career),

• To offer my personal resources for serving those who are in need, as I travel and continuing on after the journey is finished,

• To grow closer to my friends and peers, and to establish new, close friendships that will last beyond the length of the trip,

• To have fun! To feel thrilled and overwhelmed with new possibilities!
  

• Finally, to earn 15 credits in the process.

So, welcome! This blog will serve as my main communication with everyone back home as I join the Semester at Sea Spring 2009 Voyage. I'll write about my experiences in each country, life aboard the ship, and anything else that comes to mind. I'll post text as often as I can, and pictures when the technology allows.

What do I ask of you, dear reader, in exchange for this endlessly fascinating and poignant vicarious trip 'round the world? Two things:

First, please send this URL ( isaiahatsea.blogspot.com ) to anyone and everyone you think would be interested! The more the merrier, and having a bigger audience will keep me motivated to post often. I plan on keeping my writing parent-and-kid-friendly (which probably means that I'll save the juicier stories until my return). For the web-savvy folks, the RSS feed is located at isaiahatsea.blogspot.com/rss.xml .

My only other request: Please comment! I would like this space to be used as communication both ways. I'd love your feedback on my posts, and your comments will also remind me that you exist :) If I don't know you yet, introduce yourself! To comment, you'll need a Google account or OpenID. I know that's annoying, but it's the best way to prevent spam comments.

I think that's all the logistics. This is going to be crazy awesome.

Peace and love! Thanks for reading.